Using KB3 Programs In Setups

Question:I am having problems assigning a KB3 Program in a Setup - the buttons controlling the various KB3 functions no longer work.

Answer:

In the PC2, when you go to KB3 Mode, you are in a special mode that has the sliders and buttons acting in a unique manner, sending specific MIDI controller messages to perform the KB3 functions. Once you put the KB3 program into Setup, you will need to program the buttons, sliders and pedals to the correct MIDI controller numbers in order for them to work the same way they do when in KB3 Mode.

Luckily, we have already done this for you, with Setup #16 "KB3 Setup". This setup is a good template that combines a KB3 program with a bass and a ride cymbal. The setup is designed to give you easy control over the drawbar settings for the KB3 program, and has the buttons assigned to the controller numbers needed for KB3 functions.

There are some issues involved with putting a KB3 program into a Setup:

Drawbar Issues

The first issue is that there are only 4 Sliders which are used for the 8 drawbars. In KB3 Mode a dedicated button switches between having the slider control the first 4 or second 4 drawbars. But in Setup Mode, that Button is used as a Solo button, for soloing a zone. For this reason two zones are needed within the Setup if you want to have control over all eight drawbars.

Here's how it works. When you select this setup, Zone 1 is soloed (the Solo LED is on, and the Zone 1 LED is red). Sliders A­D control the settings for Drawbars 1­4. When they're adjusted the way you want them, press Zone 2. You'll hear the same organ, because Zone 2 uses the same program. Remember, Sliders A­D control Drawbars 5­8. The Mod Wheel always controls Drawbar 9 with either zone soloed. If you want to edit this Setup to use a different KB3 program, you need to remember to assign your program to both zones, or the organ sound will change as you switch between the two soloed zones. When all the drawbars are set the way you want them, press Solo to exit from solo mode, and you'll hear the bass and ride cymbal. At this point, both Zone 1 and Zone 2 are muted (their LEDs are amber). Press either Zone 1 or Zone 2, one or more times until its LED turns green, activating the zone. Now the organ plays in the upper range, and the bass/ride plays in the lower range. You can still use Sliders A­D to control the drawbars (Drawbars 1­4 when Zone 1 is active, and Drawbars 5­8 when Zone 2 is active). If you activate both zones, Sliders A­D control the drawbars in pairs (PC2R: Green Knob A controls Drawbars 1 and 5, and so on). However, with both zones active, you will get two notes played for each key you press, so you would normally never want to have both zones active at the same time.

If you are not concerned with changing all 8 of the Drawbars in real time, or just want to use the Drawbar settings defined within the KB3 Program, you can delete the second zone in this setup (turn the zone off in the MIDI transmit page), or assign the zone to a non-KB3 program (change the zone to a different MIDI channel, choose a different program for that zone, and clear the controller assignments by pressing Controllers, then Copy, then the right arrow button until it says "Clear Zone X?", then Enter). In this situation, the Sliders could still be used to control any 4 of the drawbars that you want. By default, the sliders would control the first 4 drawbars, but you could chose any 4 drawbars you want by assigning the sliders to the specific MIDI controller numbers used for the specific drawbars. The chart on page B-10 of the PC2 manual shows which controller numbers are used for which drawbars. Deleting the second zone obviously gives you the advantage of having an extra zone for layering or splitting with other programs, and it also prevents any doubled notes that would occur if you accidentally have both Zone 1 and 2 active at the same time, as described above.

Button Issues

In KB3 Mode, the 4 buttons above the sliders are used for various specific KB3 functions, but in Setups Mode, these buttons are used for muting or soloing zones. Therefore these functions have been moved to other buttons:

Function

Setup Button Assignment

Percussion On/Off:

Button 5 (above the Mod wheel)

Percussion Pitch (High/Lo):

Button 4 (above the Pitch wheel)

Percussion Loud/Soft:

Controlled by section 3 of the Ribbon (you must have the ribbon controller plugged in for this to work, obviously)

Percussion Decay (Fast/Slow):

Not assigned to any controller

Rotary On/Off:

Same button assignment in the Setup. In addition, Switch Pedal 3 can also be used to control Rotary On/Off (this is same in KB3 Mode)

Vibrato/Chorus* On/Off:

Same button assignment in the Setup.

*The Vibrato/Chorus depth button works a little differently. In KB3 Mode, this button switches between 3 Vibrato and 3 Chorus settings. Since the button only has two states in Setup Mode (On or Off), you can only choose between two different settings. By default, the button switches between Vibrato 1 and Chorus 3. But by editing the On Value and Off Value parameters for that button, you can switch between any two settings (the On Controller and Off Controller parameters are both 93 - you only change the On value and Off value).

To select other settings, use the following values:

Vibrato 1 = 0

Chorus 1 = 79

Vibrato 2 = 36

Chorus 2 = 100

Vibrato 3 = 58

Chorus 3 = 122

Effects Issues

If you are starting with the KB3 Setup, then you will be starting with a Setup in which Zone 1 has a KB3 program assigned. If you decide to add a KB3 program to a different Setup and program the controllers yourself, then you should make sure that you put the KB3 program in Zone 1 of the Setup.

Here is why: While some of the KB3 oriented functions that can be controlled by a physical controller are actual KB3 parameters, others are actually controlling the Effects Processor (These are Leslie Slow/Fast, Vibrato/Chorus On/Off and Vibrato/Chorus Select). Because the Effects are Global to the Setup, only one zone can send controller info to the effects processor for real time control. The MIDI Channel which controls the effects processor is determined by the settings of the FX Chg Mode and FX Channel parameters (see page 5-25 in the manual). By default, they are set to Auto and Current, and you probably want to leave them set that way. If they are set to those values then the MIDI channel assigned to Zone 1 is what is controlling the effects. Therefore, you want to assign the pedals or buttons that will control the Leslie and Vib/Chor parameters to Zone 1, EVEN IF THE KB3 PROGRAM IS ASSIGNED TO A DIFFERENT ZONE. Any pedals or other controllers which you are using to control the regular KB3 parameters should be assigned to the zone that has the KB3 program in it, but the effects control must be done from Zone 1.